Abstract
Specific strains of the Pseudomonas fluorescens-putida group have recently been used as seed inoculants on crop plants to promote growth and increase yields. These pseudomonads, termed plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), rapidly colonize plant roots of potato, sugar beet and radish, and cause statistically significant yield increases up to 144% in field tests1–5. These results prompted us to investigate the mechanism by which plant growth was enhanced. A previous study indicated that PGPR increase plant growth by antagonism to potentially deleterious rhizoplane fungi and bacteria, but the nature of this antagonism was not determined6. We now present evidence that PGPR exert their plant growth-promoting activity by depriving native microflora of iron. PGPR produce extracellular siderophores (microbial iron transport agents)7 which efficiently complex environmental iron, making it less available to certain native microflora.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kloepper, J. W. & Schroth, M. N. in Proc 4th int. Conf. Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Vol. 2 (ed. Station de Pathologie Végétale et Phytobactériologie) 879–882 (Gibert-Clarey, Tours, 1978).
Kloepper, J. W. & Schroth, M. N. Phytopathology (in the press).
Suslow, T. V. thesis, Univ. California (1980).
Suslow, T. V., Kloepper, J. W., Schroth, M. N. & Burr, T. J. Calif. Agric. 33, 15–17 (1979).
Burr, T. J., Schroth, M. N. & Suslow, T. Phytopathology 68, 1377–1383 (1978).
Kloepper, J. W. thesis, Univ. California (1979).
Neilands, J. B. in Iron in Biochemistry and Medicine (eds Jacobs, A. & Worwood, M.) (Academic, New York, in the press).
King, E. O., Ward, M. K. & Raney, D. E. J. Lab. clin. Med. 44, 301–307 (1954).
Garibaldi, J. A. J. Bact. 105, 1036–1038 (1971).
Meyer, J. M. & Abdallah, M. A. J. gen. Microbiol. 107, 319–328 (1978).
Maurer, B., Müller, A., Keller-Schierlein, W. & Zähner, H. Arch. Mikrobiol. 60, 326–339 (1968).
Ong, S. A., Peterson, T. & Neilands, J. B. J. biol. Chem. 254, 1860–1865 (1979).
Cox, C. D. & Graham, R. J. Bact. 137, 357–364 (1979).
Liu, P. V. & Shokrani, F. Infect. Immun. 22, 878–890 (1978).
McCracken, A. R. & Swinburne, T. R. Physiol. Pl. Path. 15, 331–340 (1979).
Huisman, O. C., Ashworth, L. J. & Harper, D. Phytopathology (submitted).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kloepper, J., Leong, J., Teintze, M. et al. Enhanced plant growth by siderophores produced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Nature 286, 885–886 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/286885a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/286885a0
- Springer Nature Limited
This article is cited by
-
Analysis of microbial communities in solid and liquid pig manure during the fertilization process
Scientific Reports (2024)
-
Unveiling the Biocontrol Potential of Rhizoplane Bacillus Species against Sugarcane Fusarium Wilt through Biochemical and Molecular Analysis
Brazilian Journal of Microbiology (2024)
-
Microbial siderophores as molecular shuttles for metal cations: sources, sinks and application perspectives
Archives of Microbiology (2023)
-
Assessment of the influence of soil inoculation on changes in the adaptability of maize hybrids
Cereal Research Communications (2023)
-
Antibiotic- and metal-resistant endophytes inhabit Armeria maritima hyperaccumulator
Plant and Soil (2023)